HB 520 Summary

• Establishes the "Access to Local Food Act" to allow small-scale cottage food operations to legally produce and sell food products from home or farm kitchens with a permit from the Department of Health.

• Requires cottage food operators to obtain a $25 permit, provide proof of food handler certification, and comply with specific labeling requirements including "Made in a Home Kitchen or Farm Kitchen" and allergen information.

• Allows non-potentially hazardous cottage food products to be sold directly to consumers or through third parties, and permits delivery by mail or shipping; potentially hazardous products may only be delivered by the operator themselves.

• Exempts cottage food operations from most state licensing, inspection, and packaging requirements, but does not exempt operators from federal law, tax laws, or fishing and hunting regulations.

• Applies to poultry from home-raised sources, inspected meat and poultry from retail sources, seafood, and foods using preservation methods such as freeze-drying, pickling, fermenting, and dehydrating (with appropriate certification or recipe approval).